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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · tear · wake · rest · pitcher · squash · jam · rock

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rest — a break
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rock — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com